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CASE STUDY

PR for Crowdfunding

REVOLS

Revols is a Montreal based startup that makes custom fit Bluetooth earphones that mold to users’ ears in 60 seconds via a mobile app.

Mission

Our goal was to get Revols as much press as possible to drive fundraising for their Kickstarter campaign. As always with crowdfunding the key was getting coverage to drop in the first 24 to 72 hours of the campaign, a task that’s more difficult than executing a Soviet Five Year Plan.

Challenge

Crowdfunding has a bad reputation. From Coolest Cooler to Skarp Laser Razor, recent history is littered with examples of campaigns that shipped late, delivered shoddy products and made unrealistic claims. Media – especially large tech outlets – have become deeply cynical about projects on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

Tactics

To overcome the credibility issue that now surrounds crowdfunding we took pains to weave the fact that Revols had been through the HAX Accelerator in Shenzen and had partnered with Onkyo into all storytelling.

We also designed a strategy that involved a roadshow under embargo that spanned multiple cities including New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Montreal. The embargo lift was carefully timed to allow Revols’ existing community the chance to purchase en masse before any media dropped. This way, once the media pieces appeared fundraising was already on fire.

Results

Revols’ Kickstarter campaign reached its $100,000 goal within 7 hours of launching. Within 48 hours – just before the client appeared on stage at HAX Demo Day – they’d hit $300,000. By the end of the 60 day effort, $2.5-million US was raised.